Larson Wins While Playoff Drivers Struggle at Darlington

The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion showcased his prowess by holding off a determined challenge from fellow playoff contender Tyler Reddick in front of a capacity crowd at Darlington Raceway on Sunday night. This victory in the Cook Out Southern 500 secured an automatic spot for the champion in the Round of 12.

Larson entered the playoff opener with a less-than-stellar average finish of 17.5 in his previous six races. However, he faced adversity during the race, including a momentary transmission issue and a brush with the wall. Despite these challenges, he clinched his third victory of the season, marking his 22nd career win and his first at the iconic Darlington Raceway.

Reflecting on his performance, Larson stated, “Yeah, finally from start to finish… Eighteenth to third in the first stage, I didn’t think that was possible. Our race car was really good when the sun was out. Just had to work on it… What a great way to start the playoffs, and hopefully we can keep it going.”

Larson seized the lead through a swift pit stop on Lap 313 and maintained it for the final 55 laps. Reddick started from second position after the pit stops but was unable to find a way past Larson.

Reddick commented, “Kyle and I were pretty close the majority of the day… Days like this, with a car like this, we haven’t been able to get a second-place finish out of it, so really glad we were able to do that, and it was a really good points day on top of that, as well.”

Chris Buescher secured a mistake-free race and finished in third place, followed by William Byron, who charged through the field from his 23rd starting position. Ross Chastain finished fifth, with Brad Keselowski and Bubba Wallace following closely behind. The top seven positions were claimed by playoff drivers.

While Larson leaves Darlington with a guaranteed spot in the Round of 12, Byron, his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, leads the playoff standings by one point over Larson. Reddick is 15 points behind Byron, with Buescher and Denny Hamlin trailing by 18 points.

However, several playoff drivers faced misfortunes due to pit-road errors and lapses in judgment. Hamlin led 177 laps, won the first and second stages, and dominated the race until an extra green-flag pit stop on Lap 274 cost him a lap and any chance of victory. Hamlin’s night worsened when he was involved in a five-car wreck on Lap 331, ultimately finishing 25th.

Kevin Harvick’s attempt to challenge Reddick for the lead resulted in him causing a caution and receiving a penalty, relegating him to the back of the field for a restart on Lap 317, with no time for recovery past 19th place.

Michael McDowell, entering the Round of 16 with no margin for error, lacked the speed to stay on the lead lap and was ultimately involved in the Lap 331 wreck, finishing 32nd.

Additionally, Christopher Bell, the pole winner, faced issues early in the race, as did Joey Logano, Martin Truex Jr., and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who all experienced various setbacks during the event.

The race was briefly red-flagged at Lap 188 during the race’s second caution period due to unilluminated lights on the inside of the track in Turns 3 and 4 as the sunset.

RACE RESULTS:

1. Kyle Larson
2. Tyler Reddick
3. Chris Buescher
4. William Byron
5. Ross Chastain
6. Brad Keselowski
7. Bubba Wallace
8. Chase Elliott
9. Ryan Blaney
10. Erik jones
11. Kyle Busch
12. Joey Logano
13. AJ Allmendinger
14. Aric Almirola
15. Chase Briscoe
16. Ricky Stenhouse Jr
17. Carson Hocevar
18. Martin Truex Jr
19. Kevin Harvick
20. Austin Dillon
21. Ty Gibbs
22. Corey Lajoie
23. Christopher Bell
24. Justin Haley
25. Denny Hamlin
26. Todd Gilliland
27. Ryan Newman
28. Ryan Preece
29. Ty Dillon
30. JJ Yeley
31. Austin Cindric
32. Michael McDowell
33. Alex Bowman
34. Daniel Suarez
35. Harrison Burton
36. BJ McLeod